In a pivotal development, the US Supreme Court has agreed to adjudicate Donald Trump’s assertion of immunity from prosecution in connection with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
This decision provides Trump with a strategic advantage as he seeks to defer criminal proceedings while actively pursuing a return to the presidency.
The justices have temporarily halted the criminal case initiated by Special Counsel Jack Smith, opting to review a lower court’s dismissal of Trump’s claim of immunity due to his status as president when he took actions to contest President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for the week of April 22, focusing on the central question of whether a former president enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken during their tenure.
As the leading contender for the Republican nomination in the upcoming November 5 US election, Trump’s case injects the Supreme Court, dominated by a 6-3 conservative majority with three Trump-appointed justices, into the electoral landscape once again.
Apart from this case, the Supreme Court is poised to rule on overturning a decision preventing Trump’s inclusion in Colorado’s Republican primary ballot based on insurrection-related constitutional provisions.
The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit had unanimously rejected Trump’s immunity claim, emphasising the importance of checks on executive power.
